No Google Art Selfies In Illinois

You may have seen them on your out-of-state friends' Facebook pages: Images of works of art that look just like your pals. But here in Illinois, the Google Arts & Culture new "art selfie" feature is off limits — and Google won't say why.

The Arts & Culture app tool matches user-uploaded selfies with faces depicted in artistic masterpieces, but the art selfie feature isn't available in the Land of Lincoln, according to the Chicago Tribune.

And while Google is keeping the reason under wraps, the Tribune says it's likely because of Illinois'strict regulations on facial, fingerprint and iris scans, also known as biometrics.

Chicago attorney Christopher Dore told the Tribune Google is likely being "overly cautious."

The Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, signed into law in 2008, requires informed consent before biometric data is collected, prohibits businesses from profiting off biometric data and comes with obligations and requirements for those who collect biometric data. Violators can be fined $1,000 for each negligent violation and $5,000 for each intentional or reckless violation.

People in Texas — which also has a biometrics law — don't have access to the art selfies either.

One possible workaround? Some people are taking selfies and asking out-of-state friends and relatives to run the photos through the Arts & Culture app.